What about demos – are you still doing these ? It ’ s not crazy like the old days , but I still do some across the UK .
We hear you ’ ve now started winging . How ’ s it going so far ? Winging yeah ! Well , Nik Baker ( K66 head honcho ) has given me some kit to learn and document the progress . Being a windsurfer and paddler , I felt I should take it on as it ’ s part of K66 and Duotone . And guess what ? I like it ! Learning a new sport is fun , and any excuse to go to the beach is great – no wind or wind ! It ’ s coming on slowly , but I ’ m getting the winging bug .
Where do you see the synergy between wing foiling and SUP ? I think the two go well together . Most SUPs can be used to start on the wing side . You need to get a strap-on fin in the middle ( no jokes , please ) to help with direction and halt downwind drift . Those windy days are good for getting on the water and playing with a new sport . I think a lot of SUP clubs are now realising it ’ s an extra addition to their activities and is fun .
What ’ s your favourite piece of wing gear and why ? I have a basic Duotone setup , which is fab . I ’ m hoping to step up into SUP foiling soon as well . I ’ m pretty blessed with working K66 as all the Duotone kit is on hand to try .
Is anything big happening for JSUP that you can tell us about in the coming months ? Just my SUP socials which are always good for bringing paddlers together . I
WHERE ’ S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO VISIT AND WHY ? I love California , but the UK remains my top choice . We have hundreds of places to explore with SUP , many of which are right on your doorstep . North Devon is another place to go for SUP surfing , with some epic spots .
also got an Ultraskate land SUP endurance race in July , which is fun on my Hamboards SUP skate . And I have some new exploring spots I need to tick off . Stay tuned for pictures on my social media streams .
And what are your plans for this coming winter ?
I ’ ll try to get away as much as possible for winter SUP holidays . Usually Fuerteventura . I ’ m planning a trip to Madeira , which I ’ m excited about . I ’ ve never been , but it looks pretty sick , so my SUP will be packed and ready .
Any final thoughts on UK SUP as a whole ? SUP does need more safety and kit awareness . Many brands and those involved in SUP are working on it . We can all play our part to get the message out , especially regarding SUP safety .
SUP isn ’ t going anywhere , and I think there ’ s a steady resurgence of interest . We ’ ll always have challenges in the UK , with seasonality and weather being big ones . But I try to keep spreading the message and stoke to showcase paddle boarding in its best light . We all just need to keep the faith , and hopefully , it ’ ll all come good .
Thanks and praise ? Nik Baker at K66 UK , Fanatic SUP UK , ION UK , and any other brands I have worked ( and have worked ) with over the years – there have been a few !